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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23097892">Bucky Barnes' Birthday: 1928</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dottieapple/pseuds/dottieapple'>dottieapple</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Li'l Stucky Adventures [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Brooklyn Boys, Bucky Barnes 103rd Birthday, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Happy Bucky Barnes, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-World War II Bucky Barnes, kid!Bucky Barnes, kid!Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:02:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>874</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23097892</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dottieapple/pseuds/dottieapple</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A tiny lil fic sketch because it's Bucky Barnes' birthday! </p>
<p>If you're looking for plot, there isn't much, it's just a fun glimpse of 10-year-old Steve and newly 11-year-old Bucky up to their usual antics. Can be read as "just friends" but also I envisioned it as "childhood sweethearts", whatever you prefer.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes &amp; Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Li'l Stucky Adventures [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1087077</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>70</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Bucky Barnes' Birthday: 1928</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Motion Pictures released in 1928 according to Wikipedia include:</p>
<p>Captain Careless<br/>Captain Swagger <br/>&amp; <br/>Beautiful But Dumb</p>
<p><i>FORESHADOWING, amirite?</i> </p>
<p>Were any of them released in or before March so they would be playing for Bucky's birthday? I don't know. I was not that invested in researching release dates.</p>
<p>I also wasn't invested in having this beta'd because it's Bucky's birthday and I wanted to have fun. I hope you have fun too!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I wanna wear my good shoes,” Steve announced to his ma as he got dressed. “I should look nice because this is a special occasion.” He tried one more time to get his hair to lay just-so across his forehead, even though his fluffy blonde cowlick kept springing up on the back of his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s Saturday, honey,” Sarah called from the other room while Steve peered under the bed, still trying to find his Sunday-best footwear. “I think your regular shoes should be fine.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bucky’s birthday is only once a year, Ma!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know how sticky the floors get at the movie house when it’s full. Save your good shoes for church tomorrow,” Sarah directed. “Do you think Bucky will be wearing </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> best shoes just to go to the pictures?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve thought for a moment, carefully considering his best friend’s fashion choices. His shoulders raised and lowered with a long sigh, and Steve put on his regular shoes, the pair his Ma had repaired cheaply when Steve’s feet didn’t grow last summer. Steve had been sure he’d spring up an inch or two along with Bucky. He stayed small, thin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A quick </span>
  <em>
    <span>shave-and-a-haircut </span>
  </em>
  <span>knock came on the Rogers’ door, which then flung open with a squeak. “Hi Stevie!” Bucky called. Sarah cleared her throat. “Hi Ma!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve rushed into the living room, a big grin on his face, one shoe still untied. Sarah released Bucky from the hug hello she must have given him, and she ruffled his curly chestnut hair. She looked over to Steve and appraised his outfit. She raised an eyebrow seeing his untied shoe. “Steven, lace your shoe, please.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Better double-knot it,” Bucky advised. “Don’t want you to fall down.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be fine,” Steve mumbled as he bent low, doing what needed to be done. Sarah pressed a kiss to Steve’s forehead and pressed some change and streetcar tokens into his hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll meet you at the Barneses for dinner,” she told the boys. “Your mother said not to be late.” Sarah shot Bucky a look, which Steve knew to mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t get into any trouble on the way home</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We won’t be!” Steve called and took his best friend by the hand. Despite his smaller stature, Steve was still able to drag him out the door. Bucky smiled and squeezed Steve’s fingers. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The sky threatened a chilly March drizzle despite the warmer than usual weather. Steve looked up at the sky and decided they could walk to the Rialto. Bucky had picked up a stick somewhere between the apartment door and the intersection. He used it to tap at electrical poles, flower planters, and fenceposts on their walk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well?” Steve turned to Bucky. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well what? You ain’t even said happy birthday to me yet.” Bucky always had that look about five minutes into any time he spent with Steve--a big grin that invited mischief, one snaggletooth sticking out when he turned his head just so. Bucky’s cheeks were pink and rounded, his face turned a little more plump once he’d passed the double-digit mark last year. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re eleven!” Steve squeaked out. “Can’t believe you made it this far, pal.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky giggled, dropped the stick he’d been carrying, and put Steve into a headlock, mussing up his silky blonde hair. Surely Bucky knew and remembered what people said about Steve. Steve managed to find a way to turn his misfortunes into self-deprecating humor for Bucky’s sake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If it made Bucky sad, he never mentioned anything about it. Bucky let go of Steve and brushed invisible dust from his coat. He puffed up his chest and declared, “That’s right, Stevie. Today I’m eleven years old. A real man.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Steve gave Bucky a shove which didn’t even knock Bucky off balance and laughed, “If you’re a real man today, then I’m a monkey from the Prospect Park menagerie.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that why you love bananas so much?” Bucky teased.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up, jerk,” Steve barked with no bite as the boys arrived at the movie house. “I been trying to ask if you noticed that I dressed nice for your birthday.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad I didn’t tackle you and muss up your shirtsleeves then. What picture’s on?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve paid for their two child admissions to the Rialto theater, then clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Can’t believe you’re eleven years old, educated, and yet you can’t read.” He pointed at the big, bright poster in the lobby advertising the latest Buster Keaton feature film. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky’s eyes gleamed. “My favorite!”</span>
  <span></span>
    <br/>
  
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’m gonna buy you the biggest popcorn they’ve got,” Steve smiled at his best friend, “and a Coke for each of us.” Bucky bounced in place as though he was waiting for something else. Steve frowned a little. “Ain’t gonna get us in trouble by ordering candy because your ma will give us more cake if we don’t.” Bucky grinned at that, but still didn’t move. Steve heaved a great put-upon breath because his best friend wasn’t moving toward the refreshment stand. “Come </span>
  <em>
    <span>on</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Buck,” he groaned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve grabbed Bucky’s hand and pulled him along. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky laughed and squeezed Steve’s fingers again in return. Steve felt his face get warm. His best friend was positively infuriating, even if it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> his birthday.</span>
</p>
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